“The Five Devils” is the type of movie that is best experienced knowing as little as possible, which is why the teaser trailer (which you can watch above) works so well. It’s all glimpses and emotions, without giving anything away in terms of plot specifics or character traits. It manages to evoke the feeling of the movie without revealing any of its many secrets.
Here’s what you can know, safely and without fear of spoilers: “The Five Devils” (a reference to the mountain range which borders the small French town where the movie takes place) stars Adèle Exarchopoulos (“Blue Is the Warmest Color”) as a mom struggling with her quiet family life. She teaches swim classes at a local pool that she co-owns with her distant husband and humbly deals with the disruptive peculiarities of her young daughter (Sally Dramé). But her life is thrown into disarray when her sister-in-law (Swala Emati) shows up out of the blue and drudges up painful memories.
Beautifully directed by Léa Mysius, “The Five Devils” played as part of the Directors Fortnight at Cannes in 2022, it was acquired by Mubi right before the festival and nominated for the Queer Palm. When it played Fantastic Fest in Austin this past fall, it won the award for Best Picture in the Next Wave Competition. “The Five Devils” is currently nominated for a César Award for Best Visual Effects, since it was released in France last year.
The rollout for “The Five Devils” will begin with a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on March 24, with a nationwide rollout to follow. It will debut on Mubi, a curated streaming service and the exclusive streaming home of “Decision to Leave,” on May 12.
Get ready. This one is very, very special.
